Combined loose-leaf book and card system.



O PATENTED APR.28,1908. 0. P. FERRERO.

APPLIEATION FILED AUG. 16, 1905.

M/JCELlfl/VEflUl jade 7115 Z21 Ti.

COMBINED LOOSE LEAF BOOK AND OARD SYSTEM.

LU asses:

UNITED STATES Pagans: OFFICE.

CHARLES P. FERRERO, PORTLAND, OREGON, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF

' ONE-HALF TO LOOSE CARD BOOK COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF OREGON.

COMBINED LOOSE-LEAF BOOK AND CARD SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 28, 1908.

Application filed Augult 1a, 1905. scan No. 274,305.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES P. FERRERO, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Combined Loose-Leaf Book and Card Systems, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings as constituting a part thereof.

My invention has for its object to provide means for removably holding a series of cards inscribed with memoranda, classified and arranged in book form, in such manner that the memoranda noted on the cards may be cut out in part, or added to, from time to time by the mere removal, substitution or addition of cards, at any point, without disturbing the general scheme of classification, And .particularly to so arrange the Whole that the memoranda noted on a considerable number of cards can be seen and comparatively examined without handling the cards individually or turning singly the pages of a loose-leaf book.- In short, to combine in I a single article, arranged and built like a book, and inexpensive to manufacture, all the advantages of a loose-leafbook and a card system, and besides the special features above mentioned.

The conveniences of the loose-leaf book, as well as'the card system have become thoroughly established; but either system taken by itself is not practical for the work intended to be accom lished by my system, because it does not al ow a comparative examination without handling individual cards,.or turning over of leaves. In my system the whole list of memoranda contained on the opposite faces of any two pages is in plain view, the moment my book is opened.

My invention comprises a series of leaves preferably removably fastened or bound at their bindin edges, between outer covers, and each lea is made with a plurality of horizontal pockets arranged in vertical alinement, and covering the entire surface on both sides. The pockets are of uniform size, and each pocket is ada ted to hold a card, suitably inscribed or b ank, on which to receive the notations of the memoranda, which is to be systematically arranged. Some of the cards are furthermore made with projecting lateral ends, suitably inscribed, and designed to serve as index tabs; and other cards are provided, suitably inscribed to constitute changeable head-lines "for designating the subject matter classified. The inner sides of the outer covers are preferably also made with pockets, to avoid a wasting of space.

In the light of the foregoing description a comparative examination of the utility of m invention will now disclose the following a vantages: The book can be built u with only a few leaves to hold the series 0 cards required in the beginning, and afterwards, leaves may be added from time to time .as required, to provide for holding additional cards. Even the smallest style can be con- ;veniently arranged so as to provide ten card pockets for each face ofthe leaf, and thus expose to view the memoranda contained on a series of twenty difl erent cards. When desirable however, the leaves may be made of sufficient size to hold fifty or'even one-hundred cards on each side or face of a leaf; and thus a book of large size, when opened would exhibit a series of from one-hundred to twohundred cards containing memoranda which ma be rapidly and comparatively examined, wit-out any handling of the cards themselves. g

In the use of the card system alone the cards would have to be individually handled to gain access to the information inscribed thereon. Only a single card is exposed to View at a time and the memoranda on a series of cards could not be comparatively examined except the cards be first removed from their containing-box and arranged on a table; and afterwards would have to be replaced in the box, all time consuming manipulations. Likewise in the use of a loose-leaf book, it would be impossible to make a coi'nparative examination of the data contained on two or more leaves without removing the latter. Also in case it were desirable to re-arrange the data of a loose-leaf containing more than one subject it would become necessary to re-write-the whole page. Besides the cards of my system do not receive unnecessary wear through handling and there is less liability of loss, which frequently occurs when cards of the box system are removed from their case and spread out before one so as to be comparatively examiried.

To attain my object the construction and grou of leaves showing the position assumed are made wide enough to cover the index clearly silown in the enlarged view Fig. 4.

arr ement of mysystem is as shown in the anying drawings, and hereinafter describe and claimed. In the drawings; F' ure I shows my book made with removable caves, and opened so as to disclose the arrangement of the pockets and the cards therein contained; the lower ortion of the binding strip of the left leaf lieing partly detached from the faste on the binding strip of the adjoining leaf; Fig. 2 shows a leaf detached, and illustrates more particularly the construction of a hinge strip y' which loose leaves are bound together, and are fastened to the covers; Fig. 3 is a perspective section of one "of my leaves illustratmg the construction and arrangement of the pockets; Fig. 4 shows an end elevation of my invention made in loose-leaf book formfthe flexible binding strip of one leaf bein shown detached from, but in posi tion to attached to its adjoining leaf. Fig. 5 is another partial end-elevation of a b t e hinge-strips of the leaves upon the c osing of my loose-leaf book; and ig. 6 is a detail of one of the cards designed for use as anindex tab.

The letters designate the parts referred to.

The covers a. a of my book may be made of straw board or other material as convenient. To avoid wasting space, the inner sides of both covers are made with pockets like the faces of the leaves I. The covers projections or tabs of the index cards The pockets-'6, are made of a flexible material, plaited as shown in 3. In making the inner leaves of my book two strips of plaited material are used, and the two strips are fastened back to back, preferably by an adhesive material, to an intermediate stri so that both faces or sides of the leaves will be provided with pockets for receiving cards- The plaitcd strips of material are fastened to the mner sides of the covers by marginal stitchings. The margins of the eaves] are incased in a binding 0 of suitable material fastened by stitching d. I

The leaves may be permanently bound between outer covers, but preferably they are bound by means enabling theirremoval, rearra ement, and the insertion of additions. For t e latter purpose 1 provide the inner edges of the leaves with a flexible or binding strips 9 of the construction more The same is made of a flexible material folded lengthwise atthe middle,'and having h two members e f, which are sewed to the binding edge of a leaf. The means provided for removably binding the leaves are ofthe glove o1- snap fastener construction. 5

All the leaves are provided on the same face, at their binding edges, with the male E parts m of the fastener and the flexible bindl saasao ing or hinge strip g are provided with the a female parts m of the fastener. The bottom cover u. is the fastener, while the to with a binding strip g li parts of the fastener.

In fastening or binding one leaf to another, the leaf to be added is simply laid alongside of the other leaf with the strip overlap ing as ap aring, for example, in Fig. 1; an the fema e parts of the fasteners on the overla ping binding strip is then snapped on t male parts of the fasteners provided on the binding edge of the adjoining leaf. The attachment of the covers to the outer leaves is effected in the same manner.

It will be observed from Fig. 4 that the arrangement of the flexible hinge or binding cover is provided avmg the female provided only with male parts of strips and the attachment thereof to the bind mg edges of the leaves, and the covers, is such as to provide a. sort of double-actionhinge for each leaf, holdingeaeh leaf centrallyjn place between two adjoining leaves or a leaf and one cover, allowing ample play to the binding or hinge stri s so as to insure that the: book will open pe ectly flat, at any place- I however, do not confine myself to the arrangement of the flexible binding strip as mentioned is essential.

The cards are of a. size to be conveniently inserted in the pockets. The pockets can be constructed to fit any sized card. The cards may be made of any suitable material, and may be provided with permanent forms, as deemed convenient for the work in mind. Some ofthe cards 11 will be inscribed with heading appropriate to the subject matter. I also provide Index cards which are blank cards made with a latera y extending portion or tab on which to inscribe a letter or other a )propriate matter to index the indi-' vidual leaves orgroup of leaves, and by so doingto facilitate the of the subjectwanted- The index cards do not waste pocket room as they are inserted in the same pocket already bearing a memoranda card, the index tab projecting as shown from underneath the memoranda card.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A loose-card leaf comprising two strips of material arranged back to back, made with horizontal folds constituting pockets, and a binding strip encompassing and fastened to the margins of the leaf, and closing the end of the pocket-folds.

2. In a loose-card book, a leaf compris' two strips of material, arran ed back to back, made with horizontal folds constitut' pockets, a binding-strip encom an astened over the margins of t e lea and the particular style of binder fastening, but

closing the ends of the pocket-folds, and a members secured, one on each side, to the I binding ed e of the leaf, and fastener-devices on the b111 mg ed e of the leaf and the members of the bindin g strip.

3. In a loose; f book, comprising a plu rality of leaves; 131C combination of a hinge strip comprising a flexible tongue secured to the binding edge of the leaf, and a snap fasl tener comprising male and female parts whereby the leaves are removably bound toi "ether, the male and female parts of said fastener being respectively provided on the l binder edge of -the leaf, on the members of l the hinged strips. I 4. In a loose-leaf book, comprising a plu- I rality of leaves, the combination of a hinge l strip comprising a flexible tongue secured to I the binding edge of the leaf, and a snap fastener comprising male and female parts whereby the leaves are rer'novably bound to gether, the male and female parts of said fastener being respectively provided on the binder edge of the leaf and on the tongue of the hinge strip, and the tongue of the hinge strip of one leaf overlapping the other, whereby each leaf is hinged or bound, by said hinge strips, on both faces of its binding edge, to the binding edges of the adjoining leaves.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES P. FERRERO. Witnesses T. J. GEISLER, RALPH R. DUNNIVAY. 

